Hogwarts Moonlit Troublemaker
by Neko-Koorime
Summary: Tara doens't go looking for trouble, but with some seriously messed up genetics like hers, it comes a-knockin! Between that, schoolwork, and the normal dangers of growing up love ... this is one story you don't want to miss! OC, Pairings reader choice!
1. Diagon's Refugee

**_Welcome to my Harry Potter Fic. I recently re wrote this last chapter, so it's much more coherent than before. I do intend to update this soon...College starts today for me (4/21/08) so I will be very busy..._**

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_I looked in the mirror as I passed it in the hallway on my way down the stairs, stopping to brush a lock of(mostly) black hair out of my face. It is always so tangled, and what a mess! I've never had any control over it. However, it was not always so bad. At least it was nicely wavy. It just did not like to do as it was told. The tips were glowing an anxious orange. One part of my mother's legacy to me. The Metamorphmagus gene was incomplete. Probably the genetics on the other side were interfering. I'm surprised I had any changing at all. They should have cancelled out. That might be preferable though… _

_I heard Dad's voice and started down the stairs again. My glasses start slipping down my nose again, so I stop to push them up, magnifying and shrinking at the same time my green eyes. Then I resumed my trip down the stairs. There was much to do, I didn't have time to waste with vanity._

_Dad was waiting there, with a sad smile on his face. It has been a long time since I last saw a true and genuine smile on his face. This time I think his sadness is from what we were doing. This year marks my first at Hogwarts. However, Dad feels he shouldn't take me to the train. He doesn't want to cause any more of a stir than he has to. But he insists that he at least takes me to Diagon Alley, so I can get my things, and wait it out at the Leaky Cauldron. It was August 1__st__, so I had a whole month…on my own… I only wish he could come with me. _

_However, he just keeps smiling, and it grew a bit brighter. As he looks down at my barely closed trunk. "Hmm…it's missing something…"He mused. With a wave of his wand, silver lettering appears on all sides and the top, spelling in curvy lettering…_

_Tara F. Lupin._

"_There. Now not even you can misplace it!"_

"_Very funny, Dad!"_

_But that got me to thinking. Has anyone ever lost his or her trunk at Hogwarts? Surely not! Or have they…Not something she'd heard about…_

_I watched only half-heartedly as Dad secured my trunk to my broom. I was so nervous, and not happy about the first year rules. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to take it to Hogwarts with me, as first years were not allowed brooms. So, I'd have to be without my broom, and I had to live...for a month…on…my own…That scared me. A lot._

_The flight to the alley was relatively quiet. Neither of us spoke much. At the entrance, after Dad had opened it for me, he smiled and gave my head a pat, as if trying to preserve my dignity. I didn't care and hugged him tightly, which he returned. _

"_Don't leave me, Daddy."_

"_My Tara… you'll be fine…You're strong sweetheart. Just remember to be careful around strangers, and don't let anyone see you…well, you know…" I gave him a smile that was cracking, just as the tips of my hair turned a sad droopy blue as well._

"_A-Alright…" One more hug, and he turned, with my broom tucked under his arm…or really…my mother's old broom…and flew away on his own broom. After staring at the sky for several long minutes, I take a deep breath and turn around to face my future. And the starting to close alleyway entrance. Adrenaline kicked in and I made a dash through the doorway that was rapidly shrinking. _

Tara shook her head to get the memory to go away. She had something more important to focus on now… the hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley made her feel small and insignificant. More so than usual, that is. And the first thing she had to do was the most imposing of all. At least in the building. She was standing outside Gringotts of course. Shakily, she walked though the doors and all the way to the end of the foyer. At the goblin she stopped, speaking quietly.

"Umm…I'd like to access my vault please…"

"Which number is it?" The goblin asked without looking up. That didn't help me any. My voice got quieter still.

"Vault 913."

"You have your key, correct?" Oooh, bad question…

"Er…no…my mother left it here under my name." He didn't seem happy to hear that.

"And what is your name?"

"Tara F. Lupin."

"Very well…Griphook!"

Yet another goblin came almost instantly. "Yes?"

"Take this young lady to her vault, 913."

The goblin's face fell a bit as he took the key handed to him. "Yes sir…"

As Tara followed him she swore she heard him mutter under his breath. "Again? I just finished with the last one!"

As she got in the cart, she held onto the sides of the cart tightly. It looked as though someone much stronger had been doing the same only minutes before.

As the cart came to a stop, Tara looked at the vault and wondered how much was in there. The money had been set aside by her mother for her education, and her father absolutely refused to touch, nor could he. The key was under her name, and the Gringotts goblins wouldn't let him, even if he had asked. He said it had been for me, and that my mother would want it used for me.

As the door opened slowly, Tara's eyes lit up. There were stacks of Galleons, piles of Sickles, and miniature mountains of Knuts. More money than she'd seen in her LIFE! Griphook, seeing her reaction chuckled. "Aye, a lot isn't it."

Tara simply nodded, a bit dumbfounded.

Griphook chuckled again and poked her with one long spindly finger. "Well, go on… fill your bag."

Tara nodded and filled her bag so it would be hard pressed to hold anymore. Girl and goblin climbed back into the cart, and shot out to the surface again. After politely thanking Griphook, she started toward Madame Malkin's robe shop. Inside, she almost hesitated, hearing a rather rude boy talking loudly to another one. She waited at the front of the store, hoping the one boy would leave. She watched as one boy left, and then heard a voice calling, which she assumed was calling her.

"Oh, dearie, here for robes? Hogwarts, right? Over here."

Just her luck, the voice led her over to where the boy with the rude voice was getting his measurements done as well. He stared at her for a few seconds before starting a conversation over. "Hogwarts?" She nodded shyly. A bit more idle words passed between them before he started talking about Mudbloods. Tara was normally a fairly clam person. But she couldn't stand much more of this. When he started on about how purebred families are superior…She lost it a bit.

"Look! If you don't like them so much, go start your own school, specifically for pure breds! In the meantime, save your breath! No one really wants to listen to it!"

The boy was so shocked at being spoken to this way, it took him a while to respond. The witch working on his measurements was finishing, which meant shortly he'd be out of here. "Why you-"

"Bring it on!" The tips of her hair were red now, as she turned to glare at him. But before anything could really happen, the boys robes were ready. As he was being shuffled out, the blond boy sneered at her. "You'll regret this."

Tara snorted derisively. For at least this moment, she wasn't scared at all. "I'd like to see you do anything about it."

The boy hurried out of the shop, flushed with anger and probably a bit of embarrassment. Tara's hair calmed down to normal black that she preferred to keep it at. Beneath her, Madame Malkin sighed with relief as she put the finishing touches on the last robe. While Tara slipped out of it so it could be folded, she spoke with great pleasure as one might expect from a witch of her appearance. She hadn't been that jovial moments before. "Thank heavens he's gone! I thought he'd never leave! What's your name, dearie?

"Tara."

"Full name?"

"Tara Lupin"

Madame Malkin nodded and waved her wand at the stack of robes she'd been making for Tara. Then the woman lifted the hem to show, in silver embroidery, her name. Tara gasped. That had been another 3 sickles and 10 knuts for the personalized robes. "Madame, what was that for?"

"For saving my poor old ears from having to listen to that boy a moment longer. I think they would have fallen off…"

Tara couldn't help but giggle, very grateful though. Now she wouldn't lose those either. She gathered the robe, wondering how she knew what color to put it in. But her trunk was just off to the side…yes, that was probably it.

"Now, off with you dearie, but come back soon!"

Tara smiled and waved as she left the shop to get the rest of her stuff. Next stop was for her potions materials. But first…a cauldron. Solid pewter, right? She consulted her list.

_Three sets of plain work robes_

_One plain pointed hat for day wear_

_One pair of dragon-hide gloves_

_And the following set of books:_

'_Standard Book of Spells, Year 1' By Miranda Goshawk _

'_A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' By Phyllida Spore_

'_A History of Magic' By Bathilda Bagshot_

'_Magical Theory' By Adalbert Waffling_

'_A beginner's guide to Transfiguration ' by Emeric Smith_

'_Magical Drafts and potions ' by Arsenius Jigger_

_And Also:_

'_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' By Newt Scamander_

'_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection." By Trimble_

_All students must be equipped with:_

_One wand_

_One standard size 2 pewter cauldron _

"Okay then…Standard size 2 Pewter Cauldron coming right up…" Tara found her cauldron very quickly and soon was pulling it along toward the apothecary. Or rolling it was more appropriate 20 some minutes later, she was exiting the smelly apothecary with a much heavier cauldron in tow.

"Now what? Hat, check! I picked that up at Madam Malkin's! Gloves…"

She glanced down into her cauldron and searched out the black colored dragon hide gloves, then checked it off the list with her quill. "Looks like next is the bookstore…"

Flourish and Blotts was an amazing place. She loved the smell, the taste of the air, and the feeling of the spines of the books beneath her hands. The whole place had a lovely atmosphere. She picked out her books and paid for them, with a few others that had grabbed her attention, sorry that she had to leave so soon... It was such a shame.

Once inside the Owl's Emporium, She had a tough decision to make. The handiness of an owl, or the comfort of a cat. Both had their advantages… She must have stood there for a good 10 minutes before making her decision. She walked out with a cage balanced precariously on top of the cauldron's contents.

And a wicker basket in hand.

The cage held a snowy white owl with green eyes. In the basket, was a kitten with black fur and white, almost silver, around her eyes and the tip of her tail, as well as around her ankles. She was going to be one pretty kitty when she grew up. The cat too had green eyes. Perhaps oit was just the assumption that green eyes should stick together.

Tara looked down at her list again, satisfied with her purchases so far, but definitely nearly ready to go to the Inn.

One last thing… her wand… Dad had recommended Ollivanders, so she headed there. She poked her head inside the musty shop. "Hello?"

A ladder came sliding down a shelf of wand boxes carrying a man with creepy eyes and graying hair. "Ah… a customer." He looked over her for a moment or two. "A Lupin, eh? Nice wand your father has…11 ½ inches, dragon heartstring, mahogany. Now lets see..."

Tara jumped as a silver measuring tape appeared out of nowhere and started taking odd measurements. Sure, the normal ones were there too, but also things like the space between her nostrils and the circumference of her thumb. Finally, it was done and disappeared with a crack.

"Alright, try this…phoenix feather, maple, 10 inches."

He handed her the wand and she had held it only a second before he snatched it out of her hand and handed her another.

"Try this one… Oak, dragon heartstring, 9 ¼ inches."

Same thing happened with this one…and with the next…and the next…and the next…

The pile was now 3 feet high off a chair

"No…try this, ebony and unicorn hair, 7 inches."

She gripped the wand and felt a slight feeling in her fingers, and thought this might be the one, but Mr. Ollivanders snatched it away.

"No, not quite, but we were close that time weren't we? Very close…"

He wandered to the back of the aisle on the far right and pulled out a box covered in dust. "Hmm…Unicorn hair, Rosewood, 8 3/4 inches."

As soon as she gripped the wand she felt lighter than air and wondered if she was floating off the ground, or if the ground was dropping. This one felt like it was made for her. Or was she made for it? Slowly the feeling faded. Mr. Ollivanders was smiling. "Interesting…"

"Sorry if this is prying, but what's interesting?"

"We don't use rosewood often for wands. Hard to fashion, though they last a long time. It's also one of the more magical woods, like holly, and birch. The Ollivander's family only made 3 wands of rosewood. But those with such wood in their wands have great magical potential, as seen by two great wizards who also have rosewood wands. Perhaps you've heard of them? Godric Gryffindor and Albus Dumbledore. Yours is the last rosewood wand we have left. Or should I say had?"

Tara blushed slightly, and didn't say a thing as she placed the money for her wand, 7 galleons and 14 sickles on the counter, and left with her wand. Time to turn in for the night and wait for September first to come… a whole month. Geez…


	2. A Fateful Sort

_**Alright all, I'm slipping into an established pattern here I think. I hope you enjoy this very long chapter. At least, it seemed long to me. looks at the stack of books next to her For reference, I took from books 1, 3, and 7. Can you guess what I took from each?**_

_I laughed as the innkeeper did another little trick. Too long in a room made me so…so… finicky. I had to get out! My smile was bright, and the bottom of my hair was a gay sky blue. Up in a ponytail, it swerved when I laughed like a pendulum. Someone came up behind me. _

_"E-Entertaining a y-young one a-are you, Tom?" I look up suddenly, to see a nervous looking young man. I'd seen him around here before, but he never seemed to talk too much. Now he was talking, and I kinda wished he was still quiet. Tom shook his head. _

_"Tara 'ere just needed somethin' to laugh about, Professor Quirrell. She's here till the train comes fer Hogwarts." _

_The nervous professor seemed a bit startled by this revelation, but also distracted, staring at…my ponytail? I blinked a little, too shy to speak. _

_"O-Oh, y-you're a s-student there?" I nod, still silent. He seemed to be quiet again, but now Tom leaned over and whispered in my ear. "He teaches Defense agains' the Dark Arts there." _

_My heart skipped a beat, but not in a good way. "T-Tara L-Lupin, P-P-Professor Quirrell." The spindly teacher… I doubted he'd been told yet about my condition. What if he put it together before I had a chance to explain and chose to… That would be bad. I scrambled off my stool and bowed myself out of the room and fast! _

--

A piercing train whistle blew through the air, startling her out of the memory. She was keeping a weather eye out for Quirrell. Her time was approaching, she had to be careful. He might… he might put it together. Of course, once at the school, most problems should be resolved. It was just uninformed that there was this problem. Pulling her trunk along, she smiled at the little kitten.

"Yes, Athena, we're almost there…" A quiet mewl was the response she got. Tara laughed, and pulled up between the platforms 9 and 10. Between her father, Tom, and various other _Leaky Cauldron_ patrons, she knew what to do. But what if it was...no, her father had told her the same. He wouldn't lie to her.

Taking a deep breath, and hesitating only a moment longer, she walked toward the barrier, and came out in a much louder, much more…magical atmosphere. The screeching of angry owls, the mewling of cats, and…a ribbit? Indeed, she was forced to come to a sudden halt as a poor little boy jumped across the floor, landing on his toad.

Tara immediately left her cart and helped him up. "You okay?" He nodded quietly. He was hugging the toad close to him, so she started looking around to see if there was anything to put the creature in so he wouldn't escape. Her eyes rested on her wicker basket. Reaching in, she pulled her kitten out and held it, offering the basket to the boy. "Here." Her hair was a kind light green near the bottom now, though still black at the top. He stared, but that was normal enough.

He put the toad in the basket, and she watched him scamper off. Athena mewled. "I'll get you a new home soon enough dearie." She went back to pushing her cart along. So many people were saying their goodbyes… but her father wasn't there too. She smiled weakly up to the sky, and then boarded the train, Athena still in her lap.

Tara was early, so there was plenty of empty booths at the time. She found one and settled in. With her head leaned against the window, and pale fingers stroking the cat softly, taking pleasure in it's purring. The door opened, but it wasn't the first time. Most, when they saw her with her odd hair scampered off to find another one. Here, they came in and settled down. She looked up for a second, blushed a little and pulled her hat over her face a bit more.

The kid from Madame Malkin's…Oh, what was he doing in here.

"Look's empty enough. If she causes problems, she can leave." Well, at least it sounded like they intended to leave her alone. She went back to stroking her cat, green eyes looking out over the station. Once the train started moving, they were only in there a little bit longer. Then they got up. Perhaps they heard something she hadn't. Not that she was trying to listen at all. She was trying to avoid it.

Not long afterwards, she saw the boy from earlier stick his head in. He didn't look too happy. He looked a bit embarrassed, and quite a bit sad. "Have you seen, Trevor?"

Tara was silent for a few moments. "Is...Trevor your toad?" He nodded. She shook her head sadly. "Sorry, I haven't. I'll keep an eye out though. I hope you find him." He left, and she settled back in for the rest of the ride. If only it had been uninterrupted. A girl popped in asking about a toad, and she gave the same answer.

The boy and his goons came back, and she pulled my hat down further. This time, he wasn't quite so lenient in his ignorance. Pity.

"I'm Draco Malfoy. What's your name?"

She really didn't want to answer. Not in the least. But, reluctantly, manners won out. "Tara." They won, but they hadn't quite conquered. She had hoped the brevity of her answer would have frightened him off. He persisted.

"You know, I met someone in Diagon Alley with hair a lot like yours." Her hand froze in it's petting, and possibly started shaking a little. Identification. That was bad. She shook my head.

"It's…a popular charm among young witches now. Hairdresser witches have it mastered. I'm sure it's a coincidence." She didn't turn to look at him. In truth, she was wishing her genetics to help her disguise herself temporarily. Just for a few seconds. She knew he hadn't bought it. Indeed, his hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to face him. Afraid she would be given away, Tara met his eyes with a timid fear.

He let go. "I guess you're right. Still, I'd like to find her and teach her some respect. I bet she's not even a purebred!"

Tara bristled a little bit, as did Athena, but she moved back to look at the window, just in time to see the blue of her right eye fade away. Okay, definitely incomplete. But it had sufficed. The girl he remembered had two green eyes, not one. To cover up her bristling at his purebred supremacy, she had to say something.

"I would appreciate it if you'd keep your assumptions of my heritage to yourself." That was true for all parts of her heritage. It really wasn't any of his business. The rest of the trip was fairly silent. Until 5 minutes before the station.

The call to change into your robes came. In a hurry, she grabbed her robe and stepped outside the compartment, leaving Athena on her chair. When she came back in, the two goons were poking at her beautiful kitty, She batted their hands away.

"Unless you want to be bit, never corner a cat." Dual advice. One looked like he already had a bite on his finger. Tara was pretty sure it wasn't from Athena. The kitten looked too scared. In either case, they backed off. Draco spent the rest of the time talking ot his goons, while Tara stroked and petted Athena the rest of the trip, tring to settle the poor kitties nerves.

Finally, the train stopped. Tara moved faster than she had in a while, scooping Athena up and slipping out the door before Draco could react. Absolutely no reason to be in there any longer than possible.

Holding Athena tight, she stared out at the darkened night, confused until she heard a gruff but kind voice. "Firs' years, Firs' years…" Seeing a light, and hearing the voice, she gave a bright smile and slipped through the crowd in that direction.

She didn't remember much after getting into the boat with Athena digging her claws into her robes. Yes, the poor cat was scared to death of water. But so was she. Tara didn't like water at all! As a result, she tuned out most of the boat ride. Hard to remember what you spend curled up in a ball. Bad impression, yes, but so understandable. She was quite afraid of water. What else could anyone want from her? She was lucky she managed to force herself into the boat.

Even as soon as she entered the brightly lit hall, ushered in by the stern looking Professor McGonagall as the huge man had called her, she suddenly relaxed. The water was behind her. Still, she was trying desperately to hide her bright orange locks from view. People would stare at the girl with the Halloween hair. It appeared people were staring anyway.

With the exception of Neville, no one else had their pet with them. Tara whispered into Athena's ear, begging her to behave. She received a mewl in response from the cat, and a glance from the Professor. Tara turned a little pink, but it faded quickly as a battered old hat on the stool began to talk…

_Oh you may not think me pretty, _

_But don't judge on what you see, _

_I'll eat myself if you can find _

_A smarter hat than me. _

_You can keep your bowlers black, _

_Your top hats sleek and tall, _

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat _

_And I can cap them all. _

_There's nothing hidden in your head _

_The Sorting Hat can't see, _

_So try me on and I will tell you _

_Where you ought to be. _

_You might belong in Gryffindor, _

_Where dwell the brave at heart, _

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry _

_Set Gryffindors apart; _

_You might belong in Hufflepuff, _

_Where they are just and loyal, _

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true _

_And unafraid of toil; _

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, _

_If you've a ready mind, _

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind; _

_Or perhaps in Slytherin _

_You'll make your real friends, _

_Those cunning folks use any means _

_To achieve their ends. _

_So put me on! Don't be afraid! _

_And don't get in a flap! _

_You're in safe hands (though I have none) _

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

Only she seemed to be that shocked. Then the names began to be called. Abbot, Hannah, one of the girls she vaguely remembered being in her boat, went first, and was dubbed a Hufflepuff. Boot, Terry, another person who'd been in her boat, was sorted into Ravenclaw. Bulstrode, Millicent became the first Slytherin.

The list continued on.

The girl who'd asked about the toad, Granger Hermione, became a Gryffindor. Shortly after, the boy with the toad in the first place Longbottom, Neville, was sorted, with him came another round of cheers from the Gryffindor table. He ran off with the hat he did. He came and handed the hat to one of the boys in line. Supposedly, Neville must have thought he'd been the end of the Ls. Then, the name Lupin, Tara came. The poor boy embarrassedly handed it over to her

The students chattered on, but she noticed a few heads on the teacher's table seemed to be a little more intent on her, including that of the silvering headmaster. Another was a slick looking teacher on the far end. Next to that teacher was Professor Quirrell, now wearing an odd purple turban…With a gulp, Tara approached, holding Athena tight. The Professor sat the hat on her head.

For a moment, there was just silence. Wasn't it supposed to just declare her house? Did she break it? Was she not allowed here? Then the voice started.

_Lupin? Daughter of Remus Lupin. Fancy that. I could have sworn that boy would never have gotten married. Now lets see. You just don't seem to think too highly of yourself, do you now, Tara?_ The voice was stretchy and squeaky, like some kind of toy. A broken one, for it was cracked too. _Lets see now. You're very shy, but fiercely loyal. You come second to other people. You sound like a Hufflepuff to me. But what's this? Your other self is begging to be a Gryffindor, by sheer heraldry. But there's more to you than timidity, or your heritage. Hmm… Decisions decisions… I've got it. In virtue of your quiet wit and preference to the library above all else, I place you in _**RAVENCLAW!**

The last part made her ears hurt, but she knew everyone had heard it. there was polite clapping, and she slipped off the stool, holding her dear Athena close as she moved to sit at the blue table. Really, in light of colors, she would have preferred green. She watched politely as the next person was called up. It was Draco. A few people patted her on the back and congratulated her. She gave them a shy, and thankful smile, with a quiet expression of gratitude if needed. Her eyes however were on the boy up there, begging, pleading he wouldn't end up in Ravenclaw. Luckily, she didn't have long to wait. McGonagall hadn't even let go of the hat and it cried out **SLYTHERIN!**

Alright, so, she didn't really want to be in the green house then. Though she loved the colors… If it meant sharing a house with him, she'd lose her mind! Especially if all Slytherin's were like him.

The sorting passed on with nothing horribly interesting until the name Potter, Harry was called. Her head like everyone else's turned. Unlike the rest, there were no whispers from Tara. She was busy recalling how much her father had talked about a James Potter, the father of Harry, and one of his closest friends. This was him, but he looked even more nervous than she had.

The hat seemed to rest on his head for a very long time. Had hers been there for a very long time. Then finally the call of **GRYFFINDOR **rang out. The table next to her burst into applause. The dark haired boy looked relieved as he scampered to the table. Cries of 'We got Potter!!' were making her ears ring. Tara settled her head onto the table, and covered her ears. The rest went uneventfully, ending with Zabini, Blaise.

It wasn't until the boisterous "Welcome!" echoed through the air that Tara lifted her head. The headmaster looked very content, and honestly glad to see us. That was a surprise. "Welcome, to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

With no explanation, he sat down. She stared at him for a moment, but the smell of steak stole her attention immediately. She patiently waited her turn, munching on a Yorkshire pudding while she waited. Then, she pulled a steak onto her plate. If there was one thing Tara knew about food, it was steak. She cut it open, pleased that she had picked out the perfect one- rare. Not what one might expect such a timid little girl as herself to prefer. She ate quickly, having not eaten on the train. Ordering past those three was impossible. As soon as it was gone however, she immediately was sleepy, and set her head down, all set to take a nap. She didn't wake up until one of the prefects poked her, to lead her down the common room. She got up to follow. The place was nearly empty by now. Perhaps that was why she heard the voice she did.

"Miss Lupin, may we see you up here?" Tara's heart froze. She couldn't be in trouble already. The prefect looked nervous, but let her go, leading the other students out. Tara slowly, and tightly holding Athena, came up to stand in front of Professor Dumbledore. Teachers spanned out on his sides and Tara suddenly felt very, very small.

"Tara, your father did send word you'd be here. I understand your condition isn't exactly like his."

Timidly ,she shook her head. "N-No sir. Firstly, I look quite a bit different."

"I can imagine, as I never saw your father quite that attached to a cat. He had a bit of a disdain for them. Possibly an allergy." Tara nodded.

"He...didn't like the smell. Another… thing is I'm only half. The d-diluted gene has an interesting effect. I go through a full cycle, following the lunar path. O-Only on the nights of a full moon do I r-require a p-potion. The p-potion just helps me repress instincts c-completely. I-I have a fairly good control most of the time. S-Sadly, on occasion the potion has no effect."

"So you need supervision."

"Y-Yes Sir. Normally my father is supervision enough, but here."

"Professor Flitwick?"

"Tara, dear, exactly how big do you get?" She turned a little pink.

"On the last night of the full moon, I am about the size of a very large dog."

"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore, but short of locking her in a cage on that night, I'm unable to handle a creature of that size. I would be very likely to hurt her. That's taller than I am. If those instincts were unsupressed… I do not trust in my defenses not hurting her."

This didn't seem to bode well. They had to have someone supervise me, but apparently my Head of House, could not. He was a bit diminuitive, but he was still an adult wizard. He should be able to take care of me.

"Well, we could use the Shrieking Shack…" One of the others suggested. Professor Quirrell spoke up next.

"I could take care of her, Albus." While Dumbledore was considering this, Tara simply looked scared. Defense agaisnt the Dark Arts teacher…what would he do if she lost control… Kill her? A slicker, lower voice cut through her fear. Possibly making it worse.

"Since I will be making her potion, I would prefer to keep her in my custody." It was the slick looking teacher, who she figured must be potions master. However, the first part was what made her blink. She turned to him and bowed respectfully.

"Oh no sir. I imagine you're already plenty busy. If you can provide the ingredients sir, I can make the potion myself."

They seemed shocked. Especially that teacher.

"A Wolfsbane Potion?"

"Yes… Daddy never could manage it right, so I gave it a shot, and did it myself once. It technically isn't magic as it requires no wand waving. I was doing nothing wrong."

"Well, Albus?" The headmaster thought for a few moments longer.

"Severus, if you have any problems with her, contact Querinius. Barring that, Tara I place you entirely in Professor Snape's care during your condition."

I trembled a little before nodding my consent. After all, he was a teacher, even if he did seem to be giving me funny looks. I smiled my sweetest slightly confused smile. The teachers got up and started disperse. I blinked. "Um...c-can someone show me where the R-Ravenclaw d-dormitory?"

Professor Flitwick was kind enough to show me to the third floor entrance. Next to a statue of a knight, a staircase led in tight spiraling circles up till it finally ended at a door with no handle. No nothing, except for a bronze eagle knocker. Professor Flitwick knocked on the door, and within seconds the knocker came to life.

"What is it the more you take, the more you leave behind?" The knocker said. Professor Flitwick thought carefully.

"Well, what do you think Tara?"

She thought carefully for a few moment. Something that could be taken and left behind. It had to be something you made as you took… "Footsteps?"

The knocker seemed to smile. "Well thought." The door opened and Professor Flitwick let Tara go in first. By now it was night, and she thought for a moment she'd stepped out on a terrace. This room was very large, and very open. She'd never seen such big, graceful windows here. Shadowy peaks were silhouetted against the starry sky. Looking up, the high ceiling was just as starry as the sky outside. It looked to be painted though. The entire room was draped in lovely blues, with a spackling of bronze out and around it all. A marble statue stood exact opposite the door, but Tara was more intent on the door next to it. Hopefully, that door led to the dormitories.

Professor Flitwick motioned to the door. "Just past Rowena you'll find the door to the dormitories. Girls on the right, boys on the left. Sleep well." And with that, he left. Tara didn't waste anytime going up the stairs and finding her trunk next to a bed. She slipped into that bed, with her robes still on. Too long of a day to change them. She was asleep behind the blue curtains in very little time. Possibly a world record.

Her whole future was in front of her…She had so much to look forward to. The day, had been a good one, overall. She didn't hardly notice at all when Athena curled up on her pillow against her. Too far gone was little Tara Lupin, the half-breed werewolf with some seriously messed up genetics. Her hair was as blue as the curtains as she drifted in a content and happy sleep.

* * *

**_I'm taking suggestions as to exactly what you readers would like to see both pairing wise, and class wise. Sicne gryffindor is paired with both Hufflepuff and Slytherin on a semi regular basis, Classes are fairly wide open. Any and All ideas and critiques are VERY welcome._**


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